Mutual
by Hautmedoc
Summary: In which Toph rants while under influence. Greeeeaaat. Tokka


**Mutual**

**Author's Note:** Set years later, in which Toph is at least 21 and can drink. Thanks so much, Nadia (**theesteemedpolicechief** on tumblr) for helping me proofread! :D

**Warnings:** Alcohol, Mild adult themes

"Where's Toph?" Katara asked when she returned to their current residence in Ba Sing Se. A reunion was held, which was why these adults were there, even years later they remained great friends.

"Dunno." Sokka replied.

"Well, I want you to go get her." She heaved as she placed bags of food onto the table. "We'll eat soon."

"Finally!" Sokka sighed. It was quite late. The sky outside has already darkened, so it was natural for the man to worry about his friend.

"Want to go look for her with Appa?" Aang offered.

"Nah." Sokka waved him off "She shouldn't have gone too far." After all, he did know her best and had already predicted where she was lingering. A fiftteen minute walk soon revealed that his prediction was correct. Before his thoughts moved to ways to scold Toph for her behavior, they reminded him that this was something he often did as well..._they_ often do.

Putting a hand on the drunken earthbender seated at the bar, he started, "Toph, let's go- EURGH", he grimaced as the lingering smell of alcohol reached him. But his brain reminded him that he had carried this smell too, many times before.

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" She grumbled. Sokka couldn't believe it. Had she really gotten drunk enough not to recognise him? That wasn't very Toph-like. Though a general check-up of her body was enough to tell how wasted she was. She wasn't even facing him when she talked, instead she was looking at the other direction, not to mention, that she would have usually sensed his footsteps before his hand reached him.

When Toph was drunk, she does some pretty crazy things. A memory from a few months ago came back to him. Zuko's party...or more like, what happened afterwards. He almost blushed at the thought. Toph, however, seemed nonchalant at the time. _Seemed_. She has gotten better at hiding her feelings these days, much to the dismay of the young water warrior.

"Urm...Katara sent me to get you." he said, deciding to ignore her nonsense.

"Oh...funny. How much is she paying you? I don't think she bother getting some random dude to come find me." Sokka fought the urge to facepalm. Giving up entirely on straightening up Toph, he grabbed her arm and began dragging her away from the bar.

"Let's go."

Sokka was lost in his thoughts while they walked home with Toph's arm around him for support. She could barely walk straight. Still thinking he was some stranger, she had intended to find her way back home herself, but she had given up after she had taken three wrong turns.

'Katara won't be happy about this.' He sighed. But then again, it could've been worse, at least she hadn't destroyed the damn place. His thoughts were interrupted by the slurring voice of his companion.

"You seem like a nice guy. Can you keep a secret?"

Sokka rolled his eyes at her unawareness, but said nothing. The secret seemed tempting. At least he'll get to tease her about it when she sobers up. It was a win-win situation. The fact that she was about to spill to a stranger did not take him off guard; he'd seen her do crazier things in the past. And those crazier things...were done _with_ him.

"I don't usually get like this, but I'm pretty emotional right now." She said, "And if you let anyone know, you'll wish you never met me."

"So what's the story?" Sokka asked, more eager than he wanted to sound.

"Well, there's this guy. That I, urm, _like_." Even he felt his heart speed up as Toph stammered out her confession.

"You want advice to help ask him out," he guessed.

"No," Toph frowned, "actually, I _never _want to ask him out."

"Why not?"

"He only thinks of me as a friend. I don't mean to sound demanding, but I've been friends with him since forever, and he's dated a couple of girls, but he always breaks up with them. And then, he complains to _me_", she threw up her arms at this point, "about how he can't find someone. Has he ever thought that maybe, _just maybe_, he wasn't looking in the right place?"

"That doesn't mean that he doesn't like you." Sokka said, glancing to Toph and seeing that she was now scowling. Woah, he would hate to be that guy right now.

"No, you don't understand-"

"There's more." He cut her off.

"_There's more_," Toph agreed, "I don't even remember when it was, but I do remember the events of that night."

'What?' Sokka's face screamed surprise and horror. 'No way! Toph- she-"

"But you know what happened in the morning? He wasn't there. I get that we were drunk and all, but to leave me after that-"

Without realising it, Sokka's hand had clutched at his nearest weapon on his body, a sword. His anger released onto that iron grip, clutching so hard, that his knuckles hurt. 'Who is this guy? How dare he-'

"That's why I know, that Sokka, from the Southern Water Tribe, didn't and will never like me."

'That bastard- wait. WHAT?', she stared, and he realised that he had said that last two words out loud.

"Hold on," she moved closer to him, nudging into his personal space until she was almost pressed against him, then her features softened in a confused and shocked state, now feeling more sober than ever, she muttered, "Sokka?"

"And now you know," he grumbled unenthusiastically. She gasped and stepped back, only stopping for a second to stare in his direction, and then took off into a sprint.

He stood for a while before reflecting on the past events. His thoughts, that's right, the craziest things that Toph and Sokka did while drunk was that they slept with each other.

Toph just barely caught him leaving. It was morning, and it took a few seconds for him to realise it, then he went to the door, picking up clothes before he left. He just barely made it to his room (not that far from Toph's) when he heard her scramble to her feet in confusion.

"_What_ am I doing?" He groaned after the flashback has faded, and left to chase after her.

Toph has never been this embarrassed or nervous in her whole life. She paced around on the earth, thinking about plans to avoid the Gaang forever- but she can't do that! The Gaang was her first true friends, and she cannot just simply abandon them. Suddenly, a hand grabbed hers and she gasped in surprise, hating how she only 'saw' the presence when it's too late. That's it, she'll make up a whole story of how she didn't really care and only said that as a prank, then make some remarks about the look on his face that she imagined and-

She was suddenly enveloped into a warm embrace, close enough to hear the thump, thump, thump of his heartbeat and this was all it took to stop her train of thoughts.

"I didn't leave that morning because I didn't like you," his breath was warm, "I left because I fear rejection."

All pride thrown away, she nodded as relief washed over her, "It's okay, I feared rejection too."

Aang shushed Appa as they watched miles up in the sky. Of course Katara made him look for them. They weren't speaking, but that wasn't a bad thing. In each other's arm, they were well fitted into the mutual understanding and comforting silence. Those words did not need to be said, for it could be felt.

_I love you._

**Extended Ending:**

"Urm, Toph? As much as I like hugging, my feet are starting to feel numb now, can we head back to- Toph?"

"..."

"..."

"-snore-"


End file.
